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Thanksgiving TV specials: Who does it best?

I don't envy script writers for shows that are well into their fourth and fifth seasons. Especially for shows that have a fairly rigid format (see Rules of Engagement, or any family-oriented sitcom), coming up

I don't envy script writers for shows that are well into their fourth and fifth seasons. Especially for shows that have a fairly rigid format (see Rules of Engagement, or any family-oriented sitcom), coming up with new material when you're approaching your 100th episode has to be a daunting task. However, I imagine a lot of these writers can take comfort in that out of a 13-episode season, there are at least three "free spaces" where the situation is already set up: the Valentine's Day episode, the Christmas episode, and the Thanksgiving episode.

The Thanksgiving episode is a lazy plot device that almost every standard sitcom has mined. Annoying relatives coming to visit, main characters being stranded in a non-Thanksgiving setting due to bad weather or a car breakdown, or the standard "everything that can go wrong with the dinner does so" plot line can pretty much write themselves. That's one reason why shows like Friends and How I Met Your Mother were so successful in tweaking these standard plot devices.

The A.V. Club has done a great job piecing together some of the more memorable Thanksgiving episodes of the past 20 years. In addition to the great, twisted unconventional takes (see South Park's infamous Starvin' Marvin, or Buffy The Vampire Slayer's Pangs), they also highlighted the cliched (see Saved by the Bell: The College Years), and those shows that could tweak the formula just enough (see Everyone Loves Raymond).

Only glaring omission: In its creative high point, Roseanne came out with some great Thanksgiving-themed episodes.

What's your opinion? What are some shows that managed to bring something fresh to the tired "Thanksgiving episode" plot? Also, what are some shows that showcased the worst in Thanksgiving-related plots?